For we are . . .

I'll be leaving for Muir later today -- I was asked to give a consult. It should only be for a week or two, though I'll keep everyone updated if there are complications.

Hi, everyone. I've been reminded that I neglected to tell anyone about my return, so I guess it's time to rectify that.

For those that don't know me, my name is David Haller. I've worked as a guidance counselor here in the past, and for the last few years I've been doing counseling primarily at the Muir Island Research Center. My specialty is powers-related trauma in children and adolescents. I'll still need to go to Muir on occasion, but I'll generally be around for a while.

When you have a night in, try to remember there's a difference between responding to a post and sending a private email.

Or maybe just avoid checking any journals from the night before.

Not that coherent due to choosing a commercial flight and fighting off some kind of flu, but I'm home. Sorry my absence was longer than expected, but there was a situation I thought needed more prolonged attention.

Going to get some sleep to try and kick this bug before it gets a foothold. I hope everyone enjoyed their summer.

Just letting you all know I'm not dead, crippled or dangerously crazy, but I am scrambled enough that I don't see office hours in the near future. May be around the journals some, but probably not. On the off chance our paths cross don't mind if I'm not too talkative. Just have a lot on my mind.

It looks like the week's identity-crisis has been resolved -- everyone's back to normal and everything. Which is a relief in many, many ways.

Could somebody help me figure out what got done to my computer so I can get the right default icon back?

I've gotten called away from New York on a consult, so I'm off shortly. Hopefully it shouldn't take long. Take care. I'll see everybody in a few days.


And um, Lorna, when I get back can you maybe change your ringtone for me?

Some of you may have noticed I haven't been well lately. It's nothing new for me, just a resurgence of some of the personal problems that brought me to Xavier's in the first place. I am out of the Medlab now, but due to these problems I'll be taking a leave of absence as student counselor.

I'm not leaving the school -- it's not that kind of leave. I have things to work on here for a little while, at least. I'll still be around, just not in the official capacity. Hopefully this will change once I get some things straightened out, but for the time being a hiatus seemed like the best course of action.

(And just in case anyone was wondering, no, this isn't because I've gone evil. I promise. Sorry. I know that kind of screws with the betting pool.)

Now that everyone's back in one piece and Mr. Dayspring has been safely tethered to a bed, I think I've suitably recovered to the point where I can think about rescheduling those appointments I had to drop last week. Sorry again to those of you inconvenienced by the short notice; drop me an email and we can work something out in the next dew days.

Well, now that I've finally figured out the journaling system I guess I should introduce myself. I'm the new student counselor . . . or, apparently, newest. Charles neglected to go into details about the prehistory of this job. In retrospect, maybe I should have wondered about that.

Official considerations first:

Some things to remember

-My door is always open, but my office hours are erratic. Most days I have private sessions with the professor, but the time is entirely dependant on his own schedule. If you find me not in, feel free to leave me a note (electronic or dead tree variety, whichever you prefer), and we can arrange a time. Barring that, I'll be around.
-While my speciality is powers-related trauma, especially psychic, I have yet to complete my training. Consequently, I do not employ telepathy in counseling sessions except under very special circumstances. If you feel you need this sort of assistance, I strongly urge you to meet with Professor Xavier. If for whatever reason you prefer my assistance to the professor's, the arrangement must first be cleared with him.
-I am not a medical doctor, and have no experience with serious psychiatric conditions. Should you need clinical diagnosis of a mental illness, a therapeutic treatment regime, or prescription medication, please see Dr. Samson.
-While no legal doctor/patient confidentiality attaches to our sessions, you may expect a reasonable level of privacy. However, in the event I am told of something that might pose a potential risk to security, I must inform the rest of the staff. No exceptions. I may be willing to work with you on omitting certain personal details, should this be at all possible, but the individual right to privacy in no way supersedes that of the other residents' right to safety. (And even if I were inclined to make an exception, please refer back to the part about daily sessions with the most powerful telepath in the world.)


What I can help you with

• Non-clinical advice


• Confidential discussion of campus-related concerns (barring security risks)


• An impartial adult presence (within reason; I may not mete out punishments, but try not to do anything that will force me to inform a staff member that does)


• Relaying student concerns and requests to the staff


• Arranging meetings with members of the staff


• Indirect bitching at the staff

What I can't help you with

• Medical advice, treatment or diagnosis


• Housing issues


• Issuing or retracting official rules, punishments, and arrangements


• Repairing any part of the school which may be broken, rusted, leaking, charred, or obliterated


• Granting permission for travel or transportation concerns


• Buying anything you are not legally old enough to purchase yourself

All right, that's out of the way. As for the personal details . . . not much to tell. I spent the better part of two years here back in the mid/late-90s, then returned for about a month in 2000 after some time at Dr. MacTaggert's Research Center on Muir Island. For the last few years I've been getting some clinical experience touring mental institutions in the United Kingdom, which I have been lead to believe will turn out to have been a good warm-up. Either way, I'm at your disposal.


EDIT: Oh. I see someone's already mentioned the lawn. I did have some control issues during my previous visits, but fortunately that's no longer the case -- it's been a long time between poltergeist-tantrums and spontaneous fires these days. (And trust me, no one is more relieved about it than I am.)